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Annise Parker, center, with her partner, far right second from right, and their two adopted daughters with supporters. From the Dallas Voice.

Running on issues of public safety, auditing city departments to cut waste and fraud, and not raising taxes, Annise Parker became Houston’s mayor on Saturday night, winning a runoff election against fellow Democrat Gene Locke. As Houston’s first “out” mayor, Parker has been lauded by progressive organizations nationwide.

Still, the overall lack of LGBT issues or discussion from Parker’s campaign is understandable. Just as congressional electability in a conservative district forces Democrats to remain silent about party affliation, mayoral electability in a state known for its active evangelical population requires talking about non-LGBT issues. Locke and Parker had to court the GOP vote, even expecting an endorsement from Republican groups before the runoff.

But how should queer critics both celebrate diversity in leadership and allow Parker media attention as Houston’s mayor, not just as Houston’s card-carrying lesbian mayor? Is it unreasonable for a candidate to want to be identified by her qualifications and record on safety first, and her sexual orientation second? The problem with ignoring Parker’s lesbian identity is that it would require ignoring the virulent anti-gay campaign waged against her.

“With the emergence of the anti-gay push against Parker,
Locke has seized the chance to portray himself as the candidate of
choice, putting in an appearance at a Pastor Council’s event and
meeting with local conservative leader Dr. Steven Hotze, the local
power broker behind the so-called “Straight Slate,” a group of city
politicians who sought to unseat incumbents behind anti-discrimination
policies in 1985. (The gay-friendly provisions were overturned by voter
referendum; the incumbents, however, kept their seats.)”

Parker’s victory speech on Sunday night clarifies her stance:

“This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming
the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that’s what my
administration will be about.”

Last week, the organization Sea Change released “Saying Abortion Aloud,” an extensive report examining how we can better support those who speak out for reproductive justice. We spoke with its creators to learn more about the research and what steps we can start taking today.

While we don’t know how many there will be once all the votes are tallied and the next Congress is sworn in, with Democrat Alma Adams’s victory a special election for representative of North Carolina’s 12th District, there are now 100 women in Congress for the first time ever. (Of course, another way of saying that is that it is 2014 and women make up less than 20 percent of Congress.)

Colorado and North Dakota both rejected personhood initiatives, while Tennessee voters unfortunately narrowly approved an amendment that declares that the state constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion. (Colorado voters must be tired if having to say–three times now–that they ...

While we don’t know how many there will be once all the votes are tallied and the next Congress is sworn in, with Democrat Alma Adams’s victory a special election for representative of North ...